


Prophecy Breakers

by UnknownUnseenUnheard



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adorable Nico, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, For Want of a Nail, Friendship, Gen, Humor, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:25:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7794553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknownUnseenUnheard/pseuds/UnknownUnseenUnheard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy just so happens to meet Nico and Bianca di Angelo three years early at the Lotus Casino, changing everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: So… Does anyone know Bianca's age? I can't find a good source. I did try looking at the Wikia and at the book, but either it doesn't say or I didn't find it. I did get an page that says shes 14, though. Except, it also said Nico is 12 while the Wiki says he's 10 so…

Published: 8/17/2016

Warnings: None for this chapter

 _Italics_ : Ancient Greek. I was going to use Google translate but… This works much better :p

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**I Meet Death's Little Champion**

**…**

**Can I keep him?**

Percy Jackson was not having a good day, or a good week for that matter. First off, he'd learned that he wasn't human. Okay, so he was half human. Tomato, to-mato

That hasn't been bad. Okay, sure, being the son of Poseidon was a shock and learning that he had a big prophecy over his head hadn't been nice, but whatever. He could deal with it. He could deal with the way the campers had treated him afterwards, he could deal with the added pressure, the added expectations, no biggie.

Percy could honestly care less about his so called father.

He was a little pissed that he'd only been claimed as a last minute choice by his father to prevent a war, but whatevers. Putting the weight of starting World War III must just be a thing Greek Gods did.

However, the one thing he could not and would not take standing down was his mother. Hades took her, Hades made him believe he had lost her, and there was no way in … well, Hades that Percy wasn't going to get her back.

At least, that was what he had been thinking before.

Now, though?

"Die, die, die!"

Percy was having far too much fun… Playing laser tag. Team Blue for the win! Percy had been playing for a few rounds so far. His team was in the lead! Having Demigod instincts and reflexes was probably cheating, but whatever. Percy had his strengths and he was having fun using them since he usually wasn't allowed to play sports at school due to his 'destructive behavior'.

Percy took careful aim and fired at the little soldier that kept running across the field. Really? Then again, no one else who opened fire seemed to hit the brat- he was quick on his feet- but not as fast as Percy.

" _Damn it_!"

Percy blinked. He could have sworn… But, no, impossi-

"Nico, language!"

"But, but, Bianca-"

"But, but, brother, language!"

"You curse too!"

"I'm the older sibling. I'm allowed to curse. Duh."

Percy couldn't help but laugh. That was his defeat as a stray shot managed to take him out. Percy, however, no longer cared about the game. Instead, he made his way down to the still bickering siblings

" _Can you understand me_?" Percy asked in Ancient Greek.

Both siblings whirled around.

"Duh. You're speaking plain en- hey! That's him! That's the guy! Let me at him, let me at him!"

Percy was shocked when the small boy, who couldn't be older than nine, tried to tackle him. Tried being the key word as the girl, his sister grabbed him from behind.

"Bianca, let me go! I'm gonna kick his ass! I'm… I'm… I'm gonna set Mythomagic monsters on him!"

"Nico, you can't attack random strangers!"

"He kept shooting me! Literally, for the last five games!"

"Well yeah, you kept running out into the middle of the field yelling battle cries." Percy couldn't help but interject.

The boy glared at him.

Dark messy hair, tan skin, small and tiny, fierce glare that actually managed to send shivers down Percy's spine. Considering he'd glared at Ares without a moment's hesitation, that was some feat.

However, as said little monster was currently being held back by his sister, Percy could only respond to the situation in one way.

"You are adorable!"

Nico blinked. Bianca blinked. Nico glanced up at Bianca.

"Now, can I hit him?"

Percy gave out a cry as he was pounced on by a child.

* * *

"My name's Percy," Percy smiled, holding his hand out.

They'd left the laser tag area and, of course, the virtual reality suits, so Percy was once more standing in his awesome new clothes, courtesy of the Lotus Casino. This place was awesome!

"I'm Bianca. That's Nico."

Now that Percy could actually see her face, he could tell that she was pretty. Freckles were splayed out around her face, she had gleaming dark eyes and olive skin just like her brother, and silky dark hair.

"So, are you guys Demigods too?" Percy smiled. They had to be Demigods. They'd understood his Greek, afterall. Only Demigods understand Greek naturally like that.

Bianca gave him an odd look. "Demigods? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, oh! You mean like- like- like Heracles, like Perseus, like Achilles! Achilles only has 700 attack points but he has 3000 defense points, the highest of any non-God!" Nico interrupted, bouncing up and down repeatedly.

Percy was confused.

"Um… What?"

"Mythomagic! There are a few Demigods, but they're more like collectors cards since they don't show up too much. It's an awesome game they have here at the casino store!" Nico revealed, pulling out a deck of cards which had several mythological figures on them. Percy glanced at a few and snorted when he saw Zeus' bolts only did 600 damage. He seriously hoped the King of the Gods never learned of this. Knowing Zeus, the Sky God would rain down endless storms on whoever invented Mythomagic in the first place.

"Awesome. How do you play?"

And, just like that, Percy was distracted once more.

However, unlike the two boys, Bianca di Angelo was not one to get distracted easily. With a roll of her eyes, she smacked Percy upside the head.

"Ow!" Percy cried out. That girl had a mean punch. Percy would know. He met the bloody Minotaur. "What was that for?" he glared.

Nico blinked.

"Sis didn't knock you out? Is your head, like, made of stone?" Nico asked. Then, the child bounced again. Percy was seriously convinced Nico had an infinite supply of energy. "Oh, oh! Are you like Achilles! Do you have superskin? Is that why sis didn't knock you out like she did to that one guy that kept hitting on her, is that-"

"Nico!"

"What? I wanna tell the story!"

"Afterwards, Nico! Hold on," Bianca placated the child before turning to Percy, "Now… Demigods?"

Percy stared at her for several seconds before he remembered.

"Oh yeah, huh! Are you guys Demigods?" he asked, smiling. Looking back, Percy would realize that his long stay in the Hotel- even if he hadn't realized how long he'd stayed there- had affected his thinking and his sense of secrecy. At the moment, though, the twelve year old couldn't be bothered to care too much about details like that.

"What is a Demigod?" Bianca's eyes scrunched up in confusion.

Nico rolled his eyes.

"I already told you sis, it's the child of a Greek god and a human, duh," Nico extended the h with a pointed look at his sister.

"Quiet," Bianca whacked him.

"Ow!"

"What he said," Percy quickly replied, not wanting to be on the other side of that fist. That girl had hands of steel. Just what were they feeding her in this place?

Bianca turned to him and glared.

"Demigods aren't real. Greek gods aren't real."

"Yeah, they are, and you guys are obviously Demigods 'cause you can understand me when _I speak like this._ " Percy argued.

Bianca froze.

"That… That wasn't English."

"No. Its Ancient Greek. All Demigods can understand it. It's hard wired into our brains," Percy informed the girl. He couldn't believe he was giving the Demigod speech so soon after it had been given to he himself. Come to think of it, why was Percy giving them this speech? He should get Annabeth to do it. She was way smarter than he was.

"We're Demigods… We're Demigods? What does that even mean?" as a girl who had been forced to grow up too fast so that she could take care of her little brother, Bianca di Angelo was freaking out.

Nico di Angelo, on the other hand…

"Cool! Do we get to breath underwater? Do we get to transform into random animals? Can we summon the dead, because that would be cool and I really want a zombie army!"

"Nico! This is serious!"

"I know! It's seriously cool!" Nico declared.

Bianca groaned. Then, she paused. A look of realization struck her. Then, the girl smiled.

"Wait a minute… This must mean one of our parents is obviously still alive, so whoever our Godly parent is, they're gonna have to step up and take care of us," the girl smiled, content at the thought of no longer being fully responsible for such a chaotic child like Nico.

In Bianca's defense, no girl her age should be practically raising a child when she herself was still a kid.

Percy blanched. He really didn't want to get on Supergirl's bad side, but…

"It erm… Doesn't exactly work like tha-" Percy paused. The air around them became frigid and cold. Percy swore he saw the shadows around them thicken as Bianca turned to glare at him, her eyes glowing with a demonic tinge.

"I'll make it work like that!"

"Right, yeah, of course!" Percy, fearing for his survival, rapidly agreed.

"So… You're a Demigod right? That means you have superpowers!" Nico interrupted. How that kid could smile while his sister was literally radiating darkness was beyond Percy.

Percy considered.

"I can breath underwater. And I can talk to horses," Percy revealed.

"Horses talk? Cooool!"

Bianca blinked down at her brother.

"You… You went down to the snack bar and ate a bunch of candy again, didn't you?" Bianca realized.

Nico's eyes widened momentarily before he grinned up at her.

"What? No! Of course no-"

Only Percy's fast reflexes kept the kid from hitting the ground. Bianca sighed. Percy stared at the girl in shock, silently wondering how the girl wasn't freaking out at her little brother randomly passing out on her.

"He'll be out for an hour, then he'll be up and playing again," Bianca explained.

Ah. This had happened before. A lot, from the sound of it.

Wait.

"How long have you guys been here?" Percy asked.

Bianca blinked. A thoughtful look came across her face before the teenager answered. "Since… Only recently, actually. We've been here like a month." Bianca replied.

Percy, however, was now focused on her dress Bianca was wearing looked like it belonged in those old black and white movies his mother loved. At this point, Percy's Demigod instincts were kicking in, and they were screaming at him the same thing over and over again, 'danger, danger, danger'!

"... Bianca, what year is it?"

Bianca gave him an odd look.

"It's 1938, Percy. What other year would it be?" Bianca laughed. Said laugh died at the horrified look on Percy's face. "Percy? What's wrong, Percy?" the girl asked.

Percy really didn't want to say it. But, he couldn't not say it.

"Bianca… It's 2006. You haven't been in this hotel for a month. You've been here for over half a century."

The girl froze.

Half a century.

Half a century…

Which meant…

Holy shit, their whole 'two week' time limit might already be up. Why was Percy worried again? What had been the whole rush? Sally… Sally Jackson. Sally, his mom. Hades. World War III. Crap, even trying to remember was giving him a headache. This place was cursed. This place was cursed, and Grover and Annabeth...

"Here!" Percy thrusted Nico towards the shellshocked Bianca as he stood.

Snapping out of her daze, the girl glared up at Percy.

"Where are you going? You still haven't explained-" she began.

"No time! I need to get my friends! Then, we all need to get out of this place!"

"Carry Nico then!" Bianca snapped.

Oh. Right. Nico was probably heavy. Then again, there was a reason Percy was mentally calling Bianca Supergirl. On the other hand, the reason was because the girl had a mean hit, so best not to piss her off. However, Percy was also worried for his friends, so he couldn't be bothered with niceties, so… Nico di Angelo was tossed over Percy's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The little boy promptly curled up against Percy and began to snore.

"Let's go!" Percy exclaimed, before turning and running off, Bianca fast on his heels.

* * *

Annabeth, of course, was building a city. She already had several skyscrapers, a road system build in, a couple of parks… Was that a statue of Athena?

"Annabeth!" Percy called out.

The girl ignored him, content with her game.

"Wisegirl!" still, no response.

Percy gave Bianca a look. With the still sleeping Nico on his back, Percy couldn't exactly do much more than yell incoherently. Bianca sighed once more and held out her arms. Percy blinked before attempting to put Nico in her arms. Attempt being the key word as the kid decided to latch onto Percy the second he realized Percy was letting him go.

Then, Bianca began to mutter in Italian and Nico sleepily turned and let himself fall into his sister's arms. Bianca gave a small grunt but stood her ground. Huh. So that's how she had such strong arms.

Percy turned towards Annabeth, grabbed her by the shoulders, and spun her towards him.

"Percy, what-"

"This place is a trap. There are people from all different eras. Bianca is from the 1930's!" Percy pointed wildly.

"What? So? This place is awesome, just look at all-" Annabeth was having none of it and pushed Percy aside to get back to her city.

"Annabeth!" Percy cried out, "Hades, Underworld, quest, stopping World War III!"

"Stopping World War what? What is a 'World War'?"

Percy winced. Right. He'd dragged Bianca and Nico into this. Probably not one of his wiser moments.

"Who cares? Let the gods fight. They always fight amongst themselves, now-" Annabeth pushed Percy back.

It was time to pull out the big guns.

"Spiders! Big hairy spiders, covered in warts… Acromantula, like the ones in Harry Potter, crawling everywhere."

Annabeth froze, paled, then shuddered. Then, her vision finally cleared and wide grey eyes met Percy's.

"Oh my gods," she said, "How long-"

"Doesn't matter. We have to get Grover."

"What is a World War?"

Annabeth scrunched her eyes and turned towards Bianca.

"Who are you?"

"We're Demigods who are going to stop the next great war and save the world!"

Percy froze.

Annabeth froze.

Bianca froze.

…

"You were awake the whole time?"

A nervous chuckle was heard.

Bianca twitched and Nico yelped as he was dropped to the floor. Then, the boy stood, smiling. "We time traveled! Isn't that awesome, sis?"

Bianca glared.

"No, it's not awesome!"

"Why not? The world probably moved forward. Who knows, they might even treat people like- erm. Yeah," Nico paused, glancing at Percy and Annabeth with suspicion while scratching the back of his head. Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look. What was that about?

Bianca's eyes softened.

"Yeah, probably," the girl smiled at her little brother, messing with his hair. Nico's responding grin could light up a room.

"Grover," Annabeth spoke.

"Right, Grover!" Percy repeated, spinning and making his way towards his goat friend. Probably still shooting rednecks.

And, of course he was.

"Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"

"I like him," Nico commented.

"Grover!" Percy and Annabeth shouted. The Satyr paid them no mind, happily blasting away. Then, he spotted Bianca, swerved the plastic gun, and opened fire repeatedly. Percy winced.

And so it was that Grover was rescued from the Lotus Casino… With a lump on his head.

The group made their way out of the Lotus Casino and Percy shot towards the nearest Newspaper stand. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the date. June 20th, just one day shy of their deadline.

"Well?" he could practically feel Annabeth's breath on his shoulder, Bianca and Nico not far behind. Grover was still in a daze. Hopefully, it would fade soon.

"It's been six days. The Solstice is tomorrow. We have a day to get to Los Angeles, or Hades will start World War III."

…

"What the bloody hell is a world war!?"

"When did we get two new Demigods? Wait, why do we have two more Demigods! There's a reason quests usually have no more than three, you know.'

And, Grover had snapped out of his daze.

Percy laughed nervously.

"Erm… Guilty?"

"What are we waiting for! Let's go save the world!"

Let it said that children can look at such a devastating issue such as stopping a war capable of bringing the planet to it's knees with a smile on their faces and adventure in their minds.

Percy smiled.

"Let's!"

He received two smacks for his troubles, one from Bianca and one from Annabeth.

"Ow!"

"Explain! NOW!"

They both said that in unison. Dear gods, what had Percy gotten himself into?


	2. We Fight the Education System

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and responses :) New chapter. Enjoy :)

 

Published: 9/7/2016

 

**Chapter 2**

**We Fight the Education System**

 

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. 

For, you see, there’s just one little detail Percy hadn’t considered. In his defense, he had taken one look at Bianca and Nico di Angelo, realized they were Demigods like him, and assumed they too had fallen for the same trap Percy and his friends had been ensnared by. It was a fair assessment. Normally, an accurate one. In fact, Percy was half convinced that if he went back to check, he’d find more Demigods trapped in that twisted topsy turvy place that dared call itself a casino.

Except, Nico and Bianca didn't fall prey to anything. They had been placed in the Lotus Casino on purpose. Which meant…

“Perseus Jackson!”

The group of five spun around at the voice.

There, standing before them, was… A lawyer? A lawyer that knew Percy’s name? That couldn't be good. That couldn't be good at all-

“Hey, it's that lawyer lady that put us in the hotel.” Nico smiled. 

Silence. It took several seconds for the implication to sink in, but, when it did, the two senior Demigods and the Satyr sprang into action. 

“Behind me!”

Riptide appeared in Percy’s hand, Annabeth drew her knife, and Grover pulled the two Di Angelo children behind him. 

“Perseus Jackson! Your crimes are beyond even the most heinous of sins! You steal from my Master not once, but twice?”

“I don't know what you’re talking about or who your master is! Now, what did you do to Nico and Bianca!” Percy snapped. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Bianca spoke up, her arm wrapped around her little brother as a tremble passed through her body. The girl glared at the Lawyer. “She imprisoned us here.”

The lawyer ignored Bianca. Instead, she snarled and began to change before them. People began to scream all around them. For a second, Percy thought they could actually see through the Mist, but then he noticed them pointing at him and even a camera flash in his direction.

Joy.

The Mist was probably making them all think he was attacking a poor old lady who was starting to look a lot like Mrs. Dodds. Wait a second, that was Mrs. Dodds!

Percy blinked. 

“My Algebra teacher is your lawyer?” Percy asked.

“Kindly One!” Grover cried.

Alecto snarled and leapt at Percy. Percy jabbed at her before rolling out of the way as a shadow exploded out of the street. Coming up in a crouch, Percy came face to face with a snarling Hellhound.

“Shit.” 

Percy really didn’t want to fight off a Fury and a Hellhound at the same time. He’d manage, but that wasn’t the problem. He’d dragged two newbies into the fight, and neither of them were armed. 

Wait. Street. The Hellhound had come from…Percy suddenly had an idea. Of course, he’d likely get killed by Annabeth afterwards, but details. Percy would likely survive.

“Guys, sorry about this!”

“Wha- PERCY JACKSON!” 

Water exploded around them. The people on the streets screamed, ranting about bombs and the end of days and blah blah. There was one simply reason for that. Percy had used the closest water source available, a water source found in most cities and that interlocked all the way throught.

Percy had used the sewers.

On the one hand, he’d blinded Alecto and her pet Hellhound. Her pet Hellhound that was currently rolled onto his back while Nico di Angelo rubbed his tummy. Wait, what?

The momentary surprise cost Percy as Alecto slammed into him, lifting him into the air, Riptide falling from Percy’s hand.

“Filthy child of the Sea God! I have killed hundreds of your kind, and now I shall take you to meet your-”

Alecto didn’t finish. Instead, she burst into sand. Percy fell with a thud to the ground with a grunt. Looking up, he saw Annabeth, who’d snuck up behind Alecto and stabbed her with her knife. Silver eyes met his. Percy smiled. Annabeth glared and Percy gulped. 

Yep. Annabeth was gonna kill him. Well, an angry Annabeth Percy could handle. It seriously wasn’t the end of the world. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

“Can we kill him?”

“Oh, I like you.”

Percy’s eyes widened. Annabeth and Bianca? Silently, Percy shuddered. The thought of both girls working together for his doom was-

“Can I help?” Nico perked.

Bianca turned to her brother.

“Of course you ca- Nico, get away from that thing right now!”

“But look at him Bianca! Hellhounds have 300 attack points and-”

“NICOLAS DI ANGELO!!” 

The Hellhound barked once, turned around, and… Was the Hellhound running from Bianca? By the gods, the Hellhound was running from Bianca. For the second time in less than an hour, Percy wondered just what he’d gotten himself into.

  
  


Hades silently fumed.

Someone had taken his children.

Someone had taken his children from where he had placed them. 

Someone named Percy Jackson.

Hades roared and slammed his fist into his throne. Then, the God of the Dead forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t afford those numerous temper tantrums his idiot brothers seemed so fond of.

When Zeus became angry, the skies roared, lightning would fall, and storms would destroy. When Poseidon became angry, anything from a hurricane to an earthquake could happen.

The last time Hades allowed himself to truly become angry, he’d somehow sparked the first World War. Hades had a little known ability that his brothers were not aware of. They could not be aware of it, for if they were, they would fear him even more than what they already did.

Hades could influence the emotions in humans around him. Not just humans, but primarily their kind. It showed in his children. Many of Hades’ offspring had influenced the masses to become their willing servants with but a bat of their eyelashes. It was such a similar ability to Aphrodite's Charmspeak, but different.  The Goddess of Love, ironically, could influence the mind to her will. Hades, on the other hand, could influence emotions. Influence the heart. 

And, quite frankly, he didn’t want his rage to trigger another war.

Hades quelled his anger. Quelled, suppressed, but there. Around his throne, shards of ice formed. Poseidon had crossed the last line. His Helm, he could barely tolerate. Attempting to start a war between him and Zeus, Hades could tolerate. Taking his children? AGAIN? If it was a war his brother wanted, it was a war he would-

“Caution, brother.”

Hades’ head snapped up. Instantly, the rage that he had barely managed to suppress faded somewhat. There was few people that could calm the fury of Hades. His wife, his mother, and his favorite sister.

“Hestia.” Hades acknowledged with a nod. “Poseidon has taken my son! He has taken my Helm! He has taken Zeus’ Master Bolt! There will be blood, sister of mine!”

Hestia frowned. 

“How are you so certain this is Poseidon’s doing, brother of mine?” Hestia spoke as she made her way towards him. Then, Hestia did what literally no other immortal would dare. She transformed into a little girl and jumped into Hades’ lap. He resisted the urge to glare. Last time Hestia had done this, Demeter had walked in, and, well… His mother in law still hadn’t let it go five centuries later.

“Who else? First-”

“Perseus is but a child.” Hestia spoke.

Hades scoffed. “He’s a Demigod. We don’t make children, Hestia. We make soldiers.” 

Hestia frowned at Hades, but the Lord of Dead did not waver. It was true. Demigods were born for battle, born for war. Why else would they have instincts engraved into their minds designed to keep them alive longer on the fields of war? It was through Demigods that the gods truly shaped the world.

“Perhaps,” Hestia conceded, but Hades could tell she was just humoring him, “Or, perhaps Perseus is truly innocent. You forget, brother, I am the Goddess of the Home and of the Family.” 

Hades considered her.

“And, what do you sense?”

“I sense no malcontent. Your nephew has not taken your son from the Lotus Casino because he wishes him harm. Remember, Hades, it was I who suggested you hide your children there. Remember, too, that it was I who blessed them, so that as long as they remained within that place, none who wished them harm would find them.”

Yes, Hades remembered. In his anger, he’d forgotten, but he remembered. Hestia was right. Percy Jackson could not wish harm on his children, because he wouldn’t have been able to find them otherwise. Poseidon was still unaware. And, if Poseidon was not, he’d turned a blind eye all these years so there was nothing to suggest-

Suddenly, an explosion of wheat appeared in the center of Hades’ throne room.

“Hades? Hello? You good for nothing step-son, it seems my sweet Persephone left her-” Demeter looked up. She took one look at the rapidly reddening Hades, another at Hestia sitting innocently on her brother’s lap, and through her head back with a laugh. Hades groaned. Five centuries. Last time, she’d held onto this for five centuries. Another five.

Curse Percy Jackson.

  
  


Annabeth glanced at the Di Angelo’s. Percy and Nico were once more discussing that odd game, Mythomagic. Grover was whistling to himself. Bianca seemed content with the silence. 

After the run in with the Fury, Annabeth had had the bright idea to use to hotel cards to get themselves a taxi. It had worked. Annabeth wasn’t exactly sure how long the money in the cards would last, though.

“So… Me and Nico are…” Bianca spoke.

“Demigods.” Annabeth told the girl.

“Half human. We’re half human. And, someone sealed us away into the Lotus Casino.”

“Why’d they do that, by the way?” Nico spoke up with a tilt of his head. Annabeth was surprised the boy was paying attention. The last ten minutes, his eyes had been fixed on the window. After she told the taxi driver that he could keep the change, well… They were going well over a hundred right now. It was a wonder they hadn’t crashed or been pulled over, actually.

“I have no idea, Nico.” Annabeth turned to him.

Percy eyed the little boy.

“Hey, Nico!”

“Yeah, Percy?”

“How’d you get the Hellhound to roll over?”

Annabeth tried not to make it obvious that she too was interested. Considering the sly look Percy shot her, he noticed. Annabeth glared. She still hadn’t forgiven him for the sewer water. Annabeth may not be vain, but it was the second time Percy had drenched in her in water like this! And she’d thought the toilet water was bad...

Nico produced… Beef jerky.

“He really liked it.” Nico revealed.

Beef… Beef jerky? Beef jerky turned a man eating monster into a slobbering puppy? Annabeth tuned out the rest of the conversation. She really didn’t want to know more. Instead, her mind put together the pieces.

It was only after they’d escaped Percy’s rouge sibling and made their way towards the Underworld that Annabeth realized the truth. Glancing at the Di Angelo’s, there could only be one conclusion when Charon let them pass without a word.

They were children of the Underworld… Someone high up enough to control a Fury. Someone high up enough to set a Hellhound on them… Who, Annabeth wasn’t sure, but she certainly wished it wasn’t Hades. If all of the Big Three had broken their vow, their would be a problem, and she knew it.

  
  



	3. We Hear Voices That Really Don't Like Us

A/N: You know, young Nico is starting to remind me of my version of young Rin. Except, of course, Nico is the younger brother so he doesn't pick up Bianca and call her adorable whenever she glares at him.

Published: 10/3/2016

Warnings: None

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**We Hear Voices That Really Don't Like Us**

There was a giant three headed dog before them.

There was a giant three headed demon dog before them that was… Currently eating beef jerky, smiling, and licking Nico. Of course, the massive tongue was literally the size of Nico's body, so…

"Gross!"

"NICO!"

"He's nice! Can I keep him, sis? I'll feed him and bathe him and feed him beef jerky and let him eat those boys that annoy you all the time." Nico offered.

Bianca actually looked like she was considering it at the last part. Percy slowly backed away. He liked the Di Angelo's and all, but… Yikes! Those two could be pretty scary. Especially Bianca. Bianca pondered for several moments before shaking her head.

"No! Look at the size of him, Nico! You'd have to feed that thing a cow a day!"

Percy was pretty sure that dog would need more than a cow but chose not to say anything. For all he knew, Nico would offer him up as a chew toy. Okay, not likely since Nico seemed to like him, but still.

"He tamed Cerberus." Grover actually sounded scared.

Percy shrugged.

"Hellhounds are technically just big dogs, right? Maybe Nico is a dog person. Hm… Annabeth!" Percy turned towards the blond girl who was currently eyeing the Di Angelo's with unabashed suspicion. Suspicion? What had Nico and Bianca done that was weird other than scaring off and taming giant underworld puppies?

"Yes?" she spoke, not looking away from… Was Cerberus rolling over. He was rolling over. Huh. Interesting.

"Is there a dog god? Maybe Nico and Bianca are the kids of the dog god!" Percy declared.

Annabeth snorted.

"Maybe is Anubis was Greek," she hissed so low that Percy almost didn't catch it.

He blinked. Anubis? Wasn't that the jackal dude?

Within his usual hangout in New Orleans, Anubis tilted his head. Had someone said his name? He wasn't sure. It was so faint. So distant. So far. And, he had work to do since dad was still gone.

Cerberus suddenly began to growl and bark.

Percy froze when one of the massive heads turned and looked straight at him. Silently, he wondered if he'd have to fight this monster too. Percy wasn't exactly sure how much good it would do here in the Underworld, though. This was Cerberus' home territory. Didn't monsters go back to where they came from when struck down? Percy still wasn't too sure on the details.

"He's asking if we're snacks!" Grover cried out.

Nico looked stunned.

"What- no! No, they aren't snacks!" the ten year old waved his hands rapidly as the Hellhound advanced.

Did… Did Cerberus just pout at Nico? By the gods, it was trying to puppy eye the boy into letting him eat them. This day just couldn't get any weirder. Nico, however, just glared at Cerberus.

"Humans are friends, not food! If we are to change this image, we must first change ourselves!" Nico commanded.

Percy blinked.

Had Nico just paraphrased Finding Nemo? The look on Bianca's face told him that Nico had.

…

Finally!

Everyone always told Percy that Finding Nemo was a pathetic kid's movie, but ha! He'd finally found someone else who liked it! Hm. Maybe he could drag Annabeth, Bianca, and Grover into watching it too? Actually… Maybe just Grover. Annabeth and Bianca together… Scary.

Unfortunately, reality caught up to them as Cerberus shoved Nico aside with one of his paws and growled at them.

"HEY!"

Cerberus huffed, turned, then lifted Nico by the scruff of his neck before placing him on top of one of the Underworld gates. Then, he turned to them. Was that fire coming out of his nostrils? Percy wasn't sure, but he was pretty sure fire was one thing not associated with the Greek Underworld. Cerberus hadn't gotten the memo, apparently, as the hellhound stood on his haunches and prepared to pounce.

"STOP!" Annabeth cried and… Produced a ball? This was no time to… Play… Fetch. Fetch! Huh. Percy produced a stick from his bag but Annabeth waved him down before turning to Cerberus.

"See the ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!" she commanded.

Then, to Percy's astonishment, the Hellhound actually did.

Nico, Bianca, and Annabeth could all command Hellhounds.

Percy twitched.

Was this a demigod thing? Was he literally the only demigod alive that could not command Hellhounds? Had he been the one left out? Was he even a demigod? Maybe Percy was secretly an X-Men, which would be pretty cool actually. He'd get a superhero name, after all.

Bianca strode forth.

"Cerberus…" she began sweetly, eyes locked on the ground for some reason.

Percy shivered.

"PUT MY BROTHER BACK ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW, YOU OVERGROWN MUTT!" Bianca bellowed, lifting her head. Percy could have sworn her eyes glowed for a second. Cerberus whimpered before doing as commanded. Nico grumbled as he was set down instead of being, you know, terrified of having teeth the size of his arm lifting him.

Bianca smiled.

"Good boy!"

She… She was scratching Cerberus' ear. Wow. Percy guessed Cerberus really was just one giant overgrown puppy. A puppy that ate people it didn't like, but still, just a massive puppy.

He almost felt sorry for Cerberus when they left him behind. Almost.

On the bright side, Cerberus now had a new chew toy in the form of Annabeth's ball. On the negative side, Percy was actually pretty sure Annabeth had liked that ball.

They made their way towards Hades palace and things suddenly took a turn to the random with Grover crying out as his shoes tried to pull him into a creepy dark pit of all things. As they pulled him away, Percy glanced at said pit.

Why...

Why did it seem so familiar?

Percy didn't know what it was. He didn't want to know. All that he knew was that it was darkness beyond anything he'd ever seen. Percy shuddered. There was something here. Something old. Something ancient. Something he wanted to avoid, now and forever. For once, Nico wasn't bouncing around. Bianca eyed the pit wearily. Grover panted, exhausted, finally free from the grip of Luke's shoes.

"What- what is this place?" Grover gasped out. Maybe he could feel it deeper than them, Percy pondered. Grover, after all, could somewhat feel nature itself and this place… That hole, that pit, Percy had a feeling that it led to a place far darker than any other part of the Underworld, a place so vile that no human had ever been condemned to its depths.

There was only one human Percy Jackson truly hated, and even Percy wouldn't wish whatever the hell that was on Gabe. He might hand him over to the harpies, though.

"Tartarus- that's- that's the entrance to-" Annabeth looked like she was on the verge of freaking out.

Percy knew it was futile but he drew Anaklusmos anyways. The bronze light at least illuminated some of the darkness.

"I-" Bianca began. Then, her eyes shuddered close and the girl collapsed.

"Bianca!" Nico cried, dashing towards his sister.

"We have to get out of here!" Annabeth sprung into action. She knelt down next to Bianca and attempted to lift her. Percy moved to give her a hand when Annabeth managed to toss the other girl over her shoulder. Then, without missing a beat, Annabeth turned and fled. Percy twitched. What was he, chopped seafood?

"Percy!"

Percy turned. Grover was struggling to stand. Percy winced. Had his friend hurt one of his huffs?

"Come here." Grover wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulder and the two turned towards Annabeth. Percy was about to ask Nico if he needed any help but the kid had sped after his sister as if the fires of… Well… Tartarus were behind him.

As they made their escape, Percy could have sworn he heard a voice. It was old. It was angry. It reminded him of his nightmares. It was the thing that crawls under your bed, the monster that destroys everything around it, the monster that crawls in the shadows. A demon. Percy wanted to be away from it as soon as possible.

As soon as they were far enough, they all collectively gave out a sigh. Annabeth just managed to set Bianca down before collapsing in a heap.

"Bianca!" Nico rushed towards his sister.

Percy, in turn, went towards Annabeth.

"How are you doing, Wisegirl?" he asked.

Annabeth panted. Then, she smacked Percy's arm. "You should have carried her!" then, Annabeth gave a groan as she sat up. She eyed the Di Angelo's again, this time with concern.

"I had thought… But no… Maybe it's better this way."

"What?" Percy was confused.

"I thought they were children of the Underworld, but… No child of the Underworld would collapse here, unless…" Annabeth didn't finish. She didn't look like she would no matter how hard Percy pressed either.

Percy looked at her for several moments but Annabeth didn't look like she was going to give. With a sigh, Percy grabbed Ares' backpack before producing some Ambrosia.

"Nico!"

The little boy looked up. Percy resisted the urge to blink. He'd brought the pair of them here and he was now seriously regretting it. Nico looked so lost. He looked distraught. He looked like he was about to go into a fit of rage, actually, and the way he was eyeing Percy wasn't exactly in the same friendly light those dark eyes had shown with before.

Percy tossed the ambrosia cube over.

Nico caught it instinctively, looking over the cube in confusion.

"Feed it to her. It should help."

Nico eyed him wearily as if Percy might be trying to trick him. Then, tentatively, the little boy turned towards his sister and began to feed her. Bianca gave a cough and her eyes snapped open.

"Sister!"

"Wha- Nico?"

Bianca suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug. Nico was hugging her? Nico never liked hugs! He said he was too grown up for hugs now and that big boys didn't need hugs and that Bianca needed to stop embarrassing him in front of his friends.

As soon as the moment began it was over and Bianca almost thought it had been a dream. Then, Nico turned and pounced on Percy who fell with an oomf.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise to never doubt you again!"

Bianca looked around, meeting Annabeth's gaze.

What… What the Hades had that all been about?

* * *

It was moments like this where Hades truly appreciated having Hestia as a sister. Really, truly, he did. Had the Goddess of the Hearth not decided to interfere and stop Hades' wrath, well… There were few things on the planet that could actually handle Hades whenever he went into a rage.

Contrary to popular belief, Zeus was not the strongests of the Big Three. Neither was Poseidon. Neither was Hades. None of the three brothers were actually stronger than the other, no matter how much Zeus liked to boast. No, they were all equals. However, this also meant one critical little fact.

If one of them decided to go rogue, it would take the power of the other two combined to bring them down. Otherwise… Two forces of equal strength don't strike each other down. They just wear each other down over and over again and, in the case of the Big Three, a pair of them fighting could last centuries.

Hestia had managed to prevent one thing.

Normally, Hades knew, his sister liked to stay out of their squabbles. She loved them all equally, so she prefered not to take sides unless she deemed the situation to be getting out of hand. Then, when she did, she'd usually take the role of the mediator, keeping them all calm while resolving the issue with a patience that literally could only have been built over a thousand years of listening to hot headed siblings bicker.

As such, Hades was not entirely furious when Percy Jackson walked into the room. No… No, instead… He was curious. Suspicious. But, not of Jackson. No, not of Jackson at all.

Hades eyed the satyr.

Well…

That had been interesting.

"Percy Jackson," Hades didn't acknowledge his children. He didn't even bother looking at them. He would ignore the pair. Yes, that was the only way. The longer they stayed hidden from that hypocrite in the sky, the better. He was also resisting the urge to go into papa mode. Hades was the Lord of the Dead! He couldn't go around coddling his children! Demeter would never let him live it down.

Hades just knew she was on Olympus spreading rumors. Not that they would ever get back to Hades. No one would dare.

Anyways…

"You are brave to come here, nephew of mine," Hades spoke, "Brave… Or outrageously foolish, after what you have done." The boy blinked at the familial term. He seemed confused. And weary. Hades resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What was it with Demigods always assuming Hades was the bad guy? You'd think they'd be nicer to a guy who had the ability to send them to eternal damnation on a whim, but no! Hades this, Hades that, what the Hades this and blah! It got annoying after awhile, really.

Hermes and his pranks were bothersome. That winged idiot was lucky Hades actually liked him. Although, Hades had yet to come up with a way to get the trickster back. But, he would. Hades always got his way.

The boy looked like he wanted to kneel over and just sleep. It wouldn't be the first time. Once, Hades had even kept one of the Demigods that had wandered down here. The poor thing literally curled like a cat. Ares had been furious that one of his children had fallen for Hades' charm and Hades still hadn't heard the end of that incident, actually.

However, Percy Jackson apparently was more stubborn than that for he stood tall and proud. Hades raised an eyebrow. Good. The boy was strong. If he had shown one sign of weakness, well… Hades had set all the powers of Hell upon Thalia Grace. This boy had been stupid enough to come to him. Hades would destroy and shatter him, scatter the shards of his very soul across time and-

"That throne is so cool!"

Hades blinked.

Then, glancing down, he noticed the child he had been intent on ignoring. Nico was literally poking at Hades' throne.

The blond, Athena's child, looked terrified. The satyr looked like he was about to faint. Poseidon's child looked like he was resisting the urge to laugh out loud. And, his daughter…

Was glaring death at him, as if daring Hades to do something to her brother.

Yep. These were his children. Definitely. His daughter's confidence most likely came from the Underworld itself. Just like children of Poseidon gained strength under water and those of Zeus in the skies, his children grew stronger here under the earth. Most likely, his daughter felt practically invincible down here.

And, she was. Unless Persephone got her hands on-

Holy Chaos, Persephone wasn't aware Hades had any living children. His wife was going to be pissed. He was usually pretty loyal, too. Out of all the Olympians, Hades was ironically the most loyal to his spouse, ironic only in that this generation and the few before it seemed to think Hades was literally the source of sin itself. Bah. Wrong pantheon.

His son met his gaze. Hades stared him down. Then, Nico blushed before running off and hiding behind his sister. Hades resisted the urge to grab him. He was the Lord of the Dead! Lords of the Dead don't grab their children in hugs! Hades didn't do hugs.

Unless Hestia was asking.

No one rejected a hug from Hestia.

Hades sighed.

Time to get down to business.

"Lord and Uncle," Percy began, "I have two-"

"Yes, yes. Mother and Bolt, correct?" Hades interrupted, waving his hand without care. He tired of this game. "The Bolt, I do not have, child." Percy looked doubtful of that. So did the rest. Hades huffed. The entire Greek world acted as if Hades was constantly plotting. Who did they think he was, Octavian Augustus? "It seems we have both been tricked. The Bolt… Is in that bag, idiot boy."

Percy froze.

Slowly, he took off the backpack before zipping it open. There, plain as day, was… The Master Bolt.

"What-" Percy's eyes widened in shock.

Hades hissed.

"It seems my nephew is up to his old games! That hothead Ares is trying to trigger yet another war." Hades rolled his eyes. "You would think he'd learn considering all the times Athena has put him in his place! I have a task for you, young Demigod."

Percy glared at him. Hm. This was interesting.

"How do I know you didn't set this up!"

Hades rolled his eyes.

"And why would I do that? What could I possibly have to gain-"

"More death means more power for-" the satyr dared interrupt.

"MORE BLOODY WORK!" Hades bellowed. "Do any of you have any idea how hard it is to manage this place! Do you have any idea how backed up the Underworld is from the times the humans decided to start a bloody world war… Twice!" Hades shouted. "Every single time… You think death gives me power? No! More work! More security guards! More subdivisions! I have to expand, over and over again, and do not get me started on the costs!"

"Charon want's a pay raise." the boy blurted out.

"HIM! OF COURSE, THAT DEAD EYED FOOL WANTS A PAY RAISE! You'd think I'm not paying him enough with all the expensive suits he wears simple to SIT AROUND FOR CENTURIES INSTEAD OF DOING HIS JOB! PAY THE FERRYMAN? WHY THE CHAOS WOULD ANYONE NEED TO PAY A FERRYMAN WHO'S ALREADY ON PAYROLL! If anything, I should dock his pay!"

Hades forced himself to calm down. Calm. Calm. He was calm. He was not angry. He was not aggressive. He was calm. He. Had to. Remain. Calm. Good? Good. Hades was good. Stupid nephews, provoking his rage when he was trying to remain calm except… Someone had stolen his helmet!

"Then you understand why we need to prevent a war! Why would you put this thing in my bag anyways?" the boy shouted.

Hades twitched.

One. Two.

Triggered.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I DID NOT STEAL THE MASTER BOLT! Your father sought to keep you hidden, but I discovered the truth! You stole my Helmet, you stole the Bolt, and- and- Calm. Remain calm. Breathing exercises."

"... Breathing exercises?" Bianca spoke.

Hades ignored her.

"Wait… Your Helmet is missing too?" Athena's spawn opened it's mouth.

"Of course it's missing," Hades rolled his eyes. "Now… Now that I am calm, do not provoke my wrath, child." Hades locked eyes with Percy. "Bring me back my Helmet, child, and I shall bring back your mother."

Hades snapped his fingers and Sally Jackson appeared in a shower of golden light, frozen in place. Percy, dazed, could only stare at his mother. Yes. This was the moment. Hades would-

"You- you- you're horrible, using someone's mother like that!" Nico snapped out.

Hades turned.

"Agreed," Bianca crossed her arms, nodding.

Hades rolled his eyes.

"I took her when I thought the brat was guilty. I'll return her, of course, once you get my Helmet back and prevent your war. This is my deal, nephew." Hades turned to Percy. "My Helmet, your mother."

"But… I don't even know where your helmet is! How am I supposed to-"

"I suppose you'll just have to improvise," Hades interrupted. "Now… Begone!" with a snap of his fingers, the pearls that his nephew had hidden on his person activated and he, the satyr, and Athena's… Thing vanished.

"Now…" Hades turned to his children, "We have much to discuss."


	4. We Start a Couple of Blood Feuds. Oops?

* * *

A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the long wait!

Published: 10/04/2017

Warnings: I'm considering taking off the warning thing from my story template to be honest. It's hardly used

* * *

 

**Chapter 4**

**We Start a Couple Blood Feuds. Oops?**

Percy had a brief moment to worry about what was going to happen to the poor little Demigods that he had dragged along with them before The Traitor revealed himself. The Traitor being none other than that crazy musclehead, Ares. Which, Percy realized, should not have shocked him as much as it had.

Hades had said as much. However, it had been Hades who had said it, so Percy had had his doubts about that.

Hades, who had kidnapped his mother and was using her as ransom. Hades, who was the scorn of the Demigod world. Hades, who had set all the monsters of Hell upon Thalia Grace. Hades, who had set that evil Algebra teacher on him that always made him do those infuriating logs. Hades, who currently had the Di Angelo's prisoners as well.

Percy was under no delusion. He knew he had screwed up royally. He had dragged two kids into a battle they weren't ready for. Hell, it was a battle he wasn't entirely sure he was ready for himself.

Either way, he was about to find out.

"You arrogant little cocky shit, challenging me? Me? I invented war, boy."

Percy decided that, for his health and safety, he wouldn't mention that there had been wars before Ares had been born. After all, the Olympians coming to power hadn't been as simple as one old ruler handing the reins to the younger.

"Hey! What are you doing to that kid! Leave him alone!"

Percy blocked another slash. Unfortunately, the force left his arms trembling. Then, a single leg snapped up and smashed into his side. Percy gasped, blood escaping his lips as he was flung backwards, crashing against the water.

Then, Ares turned towards the police officer, who had foolishly attempted to come to Percy's rescue.

"Begone, Mortals!" Ares snarled. With a casual wave of his hand, the police cars that Percy hadn't noticed make their way onto the beach- and who thought that was a good idea, actually- exploded in angry red flames. Several people screamed.

Percy stood. Feeling the water rejuvenate him, he roared.

Ares turned just as Percy slammed down on him. To the War Deities' shock, Percy was actually pushing him back. Percy used the momentum of the blow to flip over him. Ares spun as Percy aimed for his back. Blocking the blow with ease, Ares smirked down at him as the blow nearly took Percy's arms off.

"I must say, I'm impressed, kid. But it's not enough. You die here."

Strong. Supernaturally strong. That wasn't surprising either. This was a god, after all. Percy, though, was strong too. He didn't have the same strength, obviously, but he had enough for his arms not to shatter.

Percy dodged back and swung with a single hand. Ares just arched a single eyebrow as he lazily blocked.

"Now you aren't even try-"

Percy lifted his other hand, gave out a roar, and thrust it forth, fingers curled as if holding a ball in his hands.

The sea heard him, and it obeyed.

Ares spluttered as the water around them blasted him. The shock cost him as Percy came at him. Ares moved, but even he wasn't quick enough.

His sword fell with a clatter, his hand along with it.

Ares snarled.

Percy was blasted back as furious red energy swirled around the War God. Slowly, with a wince, he sat up.

Ares was panting heavily, eyes wide in complete and utter disbelief. He glanced down at his severed hand as if willing it to go away. As if it were nothing more than a mirage, a lie, an illusion. Golden ichor flowed freely from the wound. Then, those eyes that spoke of death and destruction and the end of the world stared into Percy's.

"There will be a reckoning, young Demigod. I swear it."

Then, Ares, his dismembered hand, and his weapon were gone. A helmet fell from the sky, rolling onto the warm sand.

Wiping at the sweat on his brow, Percy stood. Then, turning towards his friends, he grinned at their gaping forms.

"I won!"

"Percy, you idiot!"

Percy wasn't sure why Annabeth was hitting him or why Grover looked so worried.

"Hey, what's wrong? We saved the Crown and from Shell City and we have to get it back!" Percy declared.

Annabeth grit her teeth.

"Percy, this ain't a joke! Ares isn't going to let this go! You've just started a blood feud! A feud… Well, it's not really your fault, but you know gods." Annabeth finally relented.

Percy froze.

Then, with a tilt of his head, he uttered a single word.

"Oops?"

And Annabeth was hitting him again.

* * *

 

Hades decided that the best course of action would be blunt and brutal honesty. Unlike the rest of the Gods, Hades couldn't be bothered with all that mysterious ways bullshit and blah blah.

Best to just get on with it all, really.

"You're- you're our father?" Bianca stuttered, looking at him in shock. The boy, Nico, had lost his rather rambunctious attitude and was staring at him in a mix of awe and wonder. Awe, wonder, and perhaps a bit of fear. A bit of fear and anger.

Actually, Hades wasn't sure if that was coming from his son or his daughter.

Scratch that.

It was surely coming from his daughter. Hades could see it. Just the barest outline of hell flames beginning to form around his daughter's clenched fists. He couldn't help but be impressed. Ah, the joys of parenthood! Watching your children as they came into their powers!

His musing were cut short as Bianca began to scream, practically frothing at the mouth.

"You… You… You abandoned us! You- You're the one who left us in that hotel, aren't you? That Fury is your pet, isn't it?" His daughter thundered.

The outline faded. Or rather, expanded was a better word.

Nico jumped in shock as his sister's body was covered by dark fire.

Bianca gave a gasp as she stared down at her own hands in shock. Then, the shock faded away as she proceeded to flare daggers at him once more.

"You… You Olympians are pathetic! You father children, but take no responsibility! You make messes, and expect us to clean them! You're the ultimate deadbeats!"

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Wind whistled around them and Hades watched as his daughter gave a shiver before her protective flame barrier faded away.

"I will not be lectured by a child!" Hades snapped. "I have done everything I could to keep the pair of you safe, only for that foolish brat to take you from the sanctuary I had prepared for the both of you! No matter, however. I had intended to dip you in the River Lethe and send you on your way to wait for the opportune moment, but perhaps… Yes. Perhaps this is best. I can't have that fool of a nephew of mine complete the prophecy, but you, my daughter-"

And it was that moment, looking at his children, did Hades realize that he had fucked up. Suddenly, the chamber began to shake. Eyes snapping up, Hades expected it to come from his daughter. Strong, powerful Bianca. Beautiful like her mother, a mirror image of the woman that had entranced even he, the Lord of the Dead.

But, no.

Instead, Hades twisted his head to his son, who had his arms clenched at his sides, eyes burning with such fury Hades didn't think capable of a child.

"You… You're a monster! I want- I want- I wanna go home!"

"You don't have a home, boy." Hades cut in cooly. "Zeus saw to that. You have only me."

"No…" the boy shook his head in denial, eyes wide with fear and righteous anger and pain "Percy. I want- I want Percy!"

Then, to Hades' shock, his son gripped his sister's shoulder. With one last brutal glare, the shadows coalesced around them. Astounded, Hades lifted an arm, but not quick enough. His surprise had cost him.

His children… His children were gone.

Hades swore, slamming his fist down upon his throne, eyes burning with fire.

The gall of that boy! The gall of both of them! How dare they! How dare they! Did they not understand that Hades was merely doing what was best for them? How dare they! How dare-

"Now you've really done it, brother." A voice rang out.

Hades glared up as Hestia approached, her ember eyes glowing with sadness. The goddess took a step forward and Hades snarled.

"Leave me, Hestia. I'm not in the mood at this time."

Hestia, however, ignored him.

"You think too heavily upon the future. You don't see your children as children anymore, brother. You see them as soldiers to use in this war against your brothers. As pawns in order to rise."

Hades sneered.

"Of course. What other worth does a demigod have? Their lives are fleeting, their flames fading before they have a chance to truly exist."

For the second time in the last few minutes, Hades realized he had fucked up as fire flared around them.

"You disappoint me, brother. However, I know what truly lies in your heart. And I curse you," Hestia declared. The shock of the statement shook Hades from his rage as Hestia continued, eyes burning in fury. "Until you realize, truly realize what lies your heart, brother of mine, you will not have your children. You will have nothing. You will be alone, until, at last, you realize the truth. I will protect them… Against you."

Then, Hestia exploded in a shower of sparks that left his throne room disfigured, leaving only a shell shocked Hades behind.

* * *

 

"Here," Percy tossed the Helm up. Mrs. Dodds caught it with ease. Then, he glared. "Now, my mom and the Di Angelos."

Mrs. Dodds sneered at him. With a snap of her fingers, Sally Jackson appeared in golden chains. The chains shattered as her eyes slowly opened, taking in her surroundings.

"Mom!"

Percy tossed all self respect of a growing teenage boy aside and grabbed his mom in a fierce hug, holding her close. Eyes dazed and confused, Sally looking down to see her son clinging to her.

"Percy?"

Then, she hugged him back. Percy ignored Grover sniffing in the background. With a smile, he let go of his mom before glaring back up at the Fury.

"And Nico and Bianca?"

Alecto lips curled in a vicious smirk.

"Back where they belong! And you'll do well to remember that, Perseus Jackson!"

Silence.

A heartbeat.

Then…

Water exploded around them. Percy heard someone shriek in the background.

"That wasn't the deal!" Percy yelled out

"The deal was your mother," Alecto stated, her voice dipped in false honey sweetness, "nothing more, nothing le-"

At that moment, the unexpected happened.

Shadows began to form on the sunny beach. They coalesced into two figures. Percy stared in shock as they became a pair of children. A familiar pair of children.

Then, he was knocked over as the smaller one tackled him.

"Percy! Don't let him take us! Don't let 'im! Please!"

"Nico? Nico, you need to calm down! No one's taking you!"

Dark eyes, red with tears, stared up at him.

"Pro- promise?" Nico hiccuped.

Percy felt a dangerous dread. Hades was after Nico and Bianca. Why, he didn't know, but the Lord of the Dead had an interest in his newest friends. His newest friends that Percy had dragged right into this whole goddamn mess.

Promising to keep Nico away from Hades meant going up against the Lord of the Dead. It meant going against one of the Big Three. It meant painting a target on his back ten times larger than the one Annabeth had just finished berating him for.

But…

"I promise."

The answering smile was so wide and hopeful. Then, Nico's eyes rolled into the back of his skull and Percy became a pillow to a snoring Demigod. Percy sweatdropped. Then, slowly sitting up, he turned to Bianca.

"What just happened?"

Bianca, however, wasn't looking at him. No, instead, she was glaring at the Furies who seemed frozen, unsure of what to do.

Then, Bianca lifted her hand. A ball of dark fire formed. Percy heard someone gasp. Maybe it was him.

"You aren't taking us anywhere! Not ever again!"

Alecto spluttered. Then, her face twisted in a snarl. "Now, honey," she began.

"Alecto! Enough!" a new voice rang out.

Percy wondered who had decided to join the party now. He also wondered what the ordinary people were seeing. Obviously, not what was really happening or else they'd have a panic rush off the beach. Then again, that hadn't even happened after Ares had decided to blow up a goddamn cop car in front of them, so maybe these people just didn't have a survival sense.

The newcomer was a shimmering woman, her skin pale and glowing with ethereal light.

"Melione," Alecto greeted. The Fury actually looked frightened. Percy did a double take, not believing it at first before turning to examine the newcomer more closely. She didn't look very threatening in that white dress she was wearing, but with gods you never know.

Then, he saw it. Only for a moment, but he saw it. Her form flickered and Percy had to bite back the urge to scream. Suddenly, the illusion as of nothing at all had changed.

The woman's eyes glowed.

"Lord Hades has decreed that we will let the children go."

The Furies looked shocked. Percy couldn't blame them. So was he.

"But-" Alecto began.

"Are you questioning my authority?" the icy voice cut across. Alecto recoiled as if she had been slashed by Riptide. Except the whole, you know, disintegration part.

Melione then turned to them. Her eyes turned colder still and her face scrunched in distaste as glowered down at them.

"Begone, mortals. Lord Hades will not forgive another transgression. You've been warned."

Then, she vanished, her form shimmering away into nothingness. With one last glares, the Furies follow suit.

Silence.

"Percy Jackson," Annabeth finally spoke. Percy winced at the tone as he turned to her. "Just what in creation did you do?"

Percy spluttered. This wasn't his fault! All he had done was take a pair of kids out a hotel that had them stuck in a time loop. Was that so bad?

Elsewhere, Apollo froze as he felt a shift in the balance echo across the planet. Twisting in its direction, he felt a cold feeling pool in his marvelously wonderful gut.

Something was coming. And, for once, he had absolutely no idea what, not even a glimmer of what was to come.


End file.
